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Indigo Girls are such gifted songwriters, musicians & entertainers it leaves me asking myself why we don't see them getting an award every single year from either the Grammy Awards or the Country Music Awards shows? It is absolute insanity to me that artists that are this accomplished aren't being awarded with the ultimate most deserved recognition from their peers. And the thing is year after year, CD after CD they keep doing it. They never run out of something remarkable to share from love, life, loss experiences or just their view of the world.

1. Pushing The Needle Too Far (Live): I prefer the live version of this song. Amy's voice sounds so awesome on this track & their guitar work is outstanding. I actually saw them perform this song live in Toronto & I literally think I sat with my jaw open even after they finished the song it was that good. (Somebody should have snapped a photo of my face...that would have been a keeper! Ha! Ha!) Emily's accompanying vocals are so great; they do such lovely harmonies together and vocal performances on this track that it's just beyond comprehension.

2. Thin Line: I love how the song begins with a conversation about how they should do the song...that was hilarious! This is a sweet song; country in construction. It has compelling lyrics that are profound in how we need to please ourselves in life. Great! I love Emily's voice on this song too so much.

3. Jonas & Ezekial: Wow this is such a cool song. When I listen to this I always think how much I would want Amy Ray in my group if I was protesting anything for justice to be served. She has a remarkably powerful voice, that contains angst, reflection and an unrelenting dogged " I Will not let this go unnoticed" ability in her songwriting and delivery. There is a part of this song where she isn't singing words but her voice is conveying the struggle. Emily's voice gives a softness to balance out the strength & power of Amy's and to take the edge off the reality of the words, almost as a means to keep the peace in the group so sanity prevails but gets results.

4.Down By The River: OMG...is this not the best versions you have heard of this song? I actually think I prefer it to Neil Young's who's song it actually is. I love the drums & bass in this song too; so kudo's to the accompanists. The acoustic guitars sound so great in this song (as all Indigo songs always do), but I just love what might be the 12 string guitar on this song. It is sooooooo good....who can play like that? You rarely hear musicians of this caliber anymore in exchange for some manufactured music actually done by engineers and while they also have a place in music....I'll take Indigo live over that anyday.

5.River: This is a sweet version of the Joni Mitchell classic. I like how respectful they were to pay homeage to Joni's wonderful song by including the information for listener's that it was her song. The vocal is so lovely...perfectly suited especially for Emily's voice to be highlighted.

6.Love's Recovery: I love the use of the horns in the beginning of the song. I think the first 2 lines of this song must have been hard to deliver as it begins so low but it just goes on & on & sounds great. The lyrics to this song are poignantly expressed that they weave the story from beginning to end to perfection.

7.Mystery: How can they write such a beautiful lovesong and do it over & again. I love this song so much I just put it on repeat & have actually fallen asleep to this song as it's somehow so comforting. This makes me realize how it's hard to define Indigo's musical genre because sometimes when you listen they sound like country artists but other times I think they sound more like contemporary folk;others rocky.

8. This Train Revised: The guitar work on the intro makes you sit up & take notice & I love the flute accompaniment on this song. It starts out telling the story instrumentally & you immediately know this song is going places much like a train that you want to stay on just to find out what the destination is going to be. Amy's vocal on this is hauntingly perfect for this song in this introducion. It then shifts into a strongly powerful empowering vocal disertation that is unrelenting. It has a gospel like feel even though it isn't gospel per se (as in genre). Just impeccable!

9.Back Together Again: This is a sweet little folksy ditty that has some of the loveliest harmonies between them you just want to gobble it up!

10.Virgina Wolff: What is left to say of this rendition? Well let me start with the ability of the Indigo Girls to captivate their live audiences with their ability to make a concert filled with people ...listening on the edge of their seat because they make the concert "intimate". I love the intro with Amy talking about how she came to read about Virginia Wolff; it's so great! Their vocals on this track are just so well done....the words are spun like someone's grandmother working a spool of thread continuously on a loom. This song has I think one of their best lyrically written songs...and it's so hard to choose given their body of work but it's just so outstanding!

11.Language or the Kiss: This song written by Emily is just spectacular....brilliant in it's writing, instrumental composition and the delivery just makes you remember that this is a live version...so you now know how good Indigo Girl's are live. They are so good that unlike alot of artists today they don't need a bunch of engineering "tricks" to make them sound good beause they ARE GOOD! If you ever get to see them live do it because it will go down as being one of the best concerts you will see in life; no kidding!

12. Tangled Up In Blue: A Bob Dylan classic and I'm so glad Indigo did this song. I'd forgotten how much I loved this song; both versions...but I have to say I do like Bob's version the best though I have both on my MP3 player. They do this song justice though in comparison to sometimes musicians do versions of other people's music & you think why did you destroy such a good song. Luckily they do a good version of the song. Somehow they gave it a country-pop feel to it wheras Bob's version is definetly folk-rock.

13. Midnight Train to Georgia: Wow this was an outstanding version of the Gladys Knight & the Pips song. I like this version as a tie with the original although I think this version gave it a contemporary edge. I love the vocals on it... they all are so well suited together and the background vocals are great too. This song was a perfect choice for a live concert because it gets everyone on their feet just swaying & enjoying it so much! I can feel that even without having been at this concert; wish I had been though!

14.Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee: Just one of the best lyrically honest written songs. They give such a respectful homeage to Native Americans in this song that it just makes me want to stand up with a never ending ovation. Great & has a good rocky edge that keeps you spellbound.

15.Data: This is one of the best version of an Indigo rock song to me. It is just so great...guitars blazing with a fierce strumming that give it the angst & rage it is attenmping to convey. This would be one of the best protest march songs to be used for the ages....and what an intellectual gift on the part of Amy & Emily to have that understanding of the unequalities of life for so many. I love at the end when they just finish it off with a party like bunch of strumming...much like the protest is over now...but let's revel in our accomplishment in coming out!

16.Dead Man's Hill: I love the harmonica in the introduction to this song, & then the beautiful guitar work & bongo drums that follow. It sets up the storytelling to come in a relaxed way...only then to hear Amy's haunting voice ready to deliver an impact of words that become so sweet collectively.

These were my favorite tracks on this double set CD......once you listen to it...I'm sure you will be wanting to see them live for yourselves....now rush out & get those tickets...you'll be glad you did!

Cheers

LIVE IS THE WAY TO LISTEN TO THESE POET PERFORMERS. THIS DOUBLE CD IS THE NEXT BEST THING TO A TICKET. AT TURNS HOPFULLY POLITICAL, WRENCHINGLY ROMANTIC,SING ALONG SWEET. INTROS ABOUT WHAT INSPIRED THE SONGS ALONG WITH INSERT COMMENTS MAKE YOU FEEL MORE CONNECTED TO THEM. DEFYING CATAGORIZATION THIS SET IS NOT FOLK, POP,ROCK OR SOUL IT'S A GREAT BLENDING OF STYLES. IF PREVIOUS CDS ARE THE JOURNEY, THIS IS THE DESTINATION A MATURE COHESIVE SOUND THAT JUST SOARS.

...if my house was on fire, this would be the CD I'd grab on my way out the door. It's that good.

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5.0 out of 5 stars A Rare Find...
I'm usually disappointed with most performer's live albums- this is one exception. I bought this long before I saw the "Girls" in concert, but I listen to it again and... Read more

Published on Oct 14 2003 by Tanya McGowan

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